title: Human papillomavirus genotype distribution in cytologically screened women from northwest Germany.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this study, we evaluate the distribution of 24 human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes in a cohort of 3,381 cytologically screened women from a rural area of northwest Germany, in correlation to cytological diagnoses and histological outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a retrospective study in which the HPV-genotyping results of women who attended the German cervical screening program were correlated to cytological diagnosis and histological outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPV genotyping showed marked differences among cervical lesions. Although HPV-51 was common in all cervical lesions, it was rarely detected as single-type HPV infection in high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)3 (2/118 cases). HPV-16 and 18 were more common in CIN3 (57.6%) than in CIN2 (21.8%), but they were absent in 42.4% of all CIN3 lesions in our cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data show that HPV-16, HPV-31, HPV-51, HPV-53 and HPV-42 are the most prevalent HPV types in the different cervical lesions in this region of northwest Germany. HPV genotyping has been shown to be a powerful tool to triage atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance lesions. Considering the observed heterogeneity of HPV types in CIN2, it could also be useful to triage CIN2+ lesions. Our results underline the usefulness of a morphologically controlled screening program with HPV genotyping as a powerful additional tool.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology and Cytology Schüttorf/Leer, Schüttorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Busecke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinecke
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bettendorf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*